Some days I have to remind myself that this is real life. Back in the Midwest, seeing a deer in the backyard felt special. Here in Arizona, we can drive a few miles and watch wild horses roaming free along the Salt River like something straight out of a movie. Every time I see them, I cannot help but feel grateful. They’re powerful, graceful, and completely at home in a landscape that still amazes me every single day. The way they move through the desert with the mountains be

The first plant I killed in Arizona wasn’t neglected. It wasn’t forgotten. It wasn’t even unhealthy when I bought it. I loved that plant. I watered it. I talked to it. I admired it every morning with my coffee. Three days later it looked like someone had left it in an air fryer. That’s when I realized everything I knew about gardening in Ohio wasn’t necessarily going to help me survive gardening in the desert. Arizona has been a humbling experience for both me and my plants.